The Games We Play
by SasuNaruForever17
Summary: America hides and England almost has a heart attack.


_The Games We Play_

England had been searching all morning, but he could not find America anywhere. Ever since he had taken the boy in, he had been a little troublemaker. America would always bring wild animals into the house, scaring the living day lights out of him. If it wasn't animals, it was other things that the boy would find and decide to drag in to disrupt the peace.

Despite all the things America got himself into, England loved him. It was hard going at first with a child in the house, be he soon adapted. France would come over every so often and baby-sit for him, which was nice, even if he didn't trust the frog.

Having looked the whole bottom floor over more than three times, England went upstairs. He didn't know where the boy could possibly be. He had disappeared before, but within the hour he had come back. This time was different. England had already looked the whole house over several times. He didn't think checking again indoors would help, but he did so just to be sure.

Not in the closets, not under the bed, not in the kitchen cupboards, and not even in the pile of dirty laundry. Where could the boy be? England was starting to worry. It wasn't like America to be gone this long. It was already a little past noon. He was sure that if he waited, America would come back, begging for food. But…England couldn't wait. What if America was in danger?

His heart clenched at that. He knew he shouldn't have left to return that book! England went outside, heading for America's tree house he had built for the boy only a couple summers ago. England climbed the short ladder and poked his head into the wooden box. Nothing but some books, a blanket, and a jar of probably dead lightening bugs they had caught last night.

England climbed back down and roamed his eyes over the backyard. It was a big place, though fairly open. There was a couple large trees scattered here and there, providing some shade. England made his way over to one of the trees where a bench was. He stopped before it, caught in a mild flash back of how he had read to America just a few nights before on the bench. The boy had fallen asleep and England had too. His shook his head to clear the thoughts, chest hurting. If he lost America now… he wouldn't know what he would do.

He turned his back to the tree and remembered that he hadn't tried calling out for America yet. How stupid of him! England cupped his hands to his mouth and drew a breath.

"AMERICA!" England shouted as loud as he could. He waited for a minute, listening and frantically scanning over the yard. A fly buzzed next to him and he brushed it away. When nothing else was heard or seen, England prepared to yell once more.

Suddenly, there was a rustle of leaves from above him, and England looked up in time to see America dropping from a branch somewhere above him. He landed with a thump on England's back, holding on tightly to his neck. England grabbed at America's hands restricting his throat and held them in his own, gulping down air. It felt like he had just ran a couple miles, the way his heart was beating so fast.

England stumbled the couple steps to the bench and sat down, pulling America from his back and into his lap. America smiled up at him, but England gave him a hard look.

"America, where have you been all morning?"

The boy smiled and reached into his pocket, pulling out a small tree frog.

"I was trying to catch him. He went up the tree and I followed him."

England didn't think that explained why America had been missing the _whole morning_, so he kept up the look and America finally succumbed.

"Well…I did get the frog…but then I saw you looking for me and I thought it would be fun to hide and have you look for me. You didn't like the game?"

England rubbed a hand down his face. Of course it was all just a game. America always wanted to play something or other. The boy gave him a apologetic look and held up his tree frog. England took it and set it down carefully next to him on the bench.

"Well, I think that's enough adventure for one morning. Thank the Lord I found you. How about we go have lunch now?"

America brightened at that, jumping from England's lap and running to the house.

"Catch me if you can!"

England rolled his eyes but smiled, jogging to catch up with America.

End.

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><p><strong>AN: …and cue the tree-frog-jumping-at-the-camera-lens-finish! This has to be the sappiest, fluffiest little thing I have ever written. Baby America is just too adorable though! :)**


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